Self growth

“I have always liked taking up challenges and stepping out of my comfort zone; this attribute in me has guided me to take major decisions in my academic journey. I wanted to become a doctor during my childhood, specifically a gynaecologist. But with time, I got more inclined towards research. I thought it would be more preferable for me to be in a profession where I can generate results of my own; that’s how the thought of getting a doctorate degree came about.

I was a topper in my subject during Master’s that enabled me to take up a PhD position in my home university through DST-INSPIRE fellowship. Although I was ready for it, I felt I should appear for other competitive examinations, like CSIR-NET in order to prove myself. Luckily I got the fellowship which shone bright on my resume and fetched me a Master’s dissertation of six months at Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow. My supervisor was quite impressed with my work and suggested that I could apply to his laboratory for a PhD as well, which I readily accepted.

However, just within two months of joining, the pandemic set in and we had to stop our work and return home. During this time away from the laboratory, I began questioning my quick decision to do a PhD considering I barely had to face any hurdle while enrolling for one. I contemplated if such a smooth transition from college to PhD would help me grow in life. That thought…